The high demand for lithium-ion batteries has triggered significant research interest in finding alternative ion carriers. In a recent publication, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Professor Ian Hosein’s research team showed how they produced high performance hard carbon from avocado peels using high temperature processing. Electrochemical measurements confirmed the use of avocado-derived hard carbon as electrode active materials, with high reversible capacities of 320 mAh g⁻¹ over 50 cycles at 50 mA g⁻¹, good rate performance of 86 mAh g⁻¹ at 3500 mA g⁻¹, and Coulombic efficiencies above 99.9% after 500 cycles.

“We see avocado carbon as a cost effective and abundant source that yields a promising anode material for high-rate performance sodium-ion batteries,” says Hosein.

The research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Doctoral students Francielli Silva Genier, Shreyas Pathreeker, Robson Luis Schuarca and Dr. Mohammad Islam collaborated with Hosein on the research and publication in the IOPscience journal.